Kancera reports positive effects demonstrated with its substance, KAND567, in blocking the Fractalkine system. It has been shown, in clinical trials, that blocking the Fractalkine system can prevent the Fractalkine signal in immune and cancer cells, thereby offering a novel therapeutic option in the treatment of major diseases.
Drug development
“The results, which come from the pharmaceutical company Eisai, are very gratifying as they further strengthen our conviction that blocking of the Fractalkine system can serve as a basis for an entirely new class of drugs for the treatment of major diseases,” said Thomas Olin, CEO of Kancera. “In addition, the results increase the likelihood that Kancera KAND567 can achieve clinical and commercial success.”
Fractalkine is an immune regulatory factor that transmits signals through a specific receptor (receiver) on the surface of cells involved in immune and inflammatory processes and in cancer cell proliferation.
In recent studies performed by Eisai, it has been shown that blocking the Fractalkine system significantly reduces the severity of Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis and that treatment, in some cases, resulted in a return to normal health. These studies were performed with an antibody (E6011).1,2
E6011 is injected into the patient and binds to Fractalkine in order to prevent it from attaching to its receptor. Kancera’s KAND567, which is available in tablet- or capsule-form and is administered orally, blocks the receptor for Fractalkine to prevent it signalling immune and cancer cells.
Both therapeutic options (E6011 and KAND567) have been shown to be effective against a number of autoimmune diseases in preclinical studies. Results in a disease model for multiple sclerosis support the idea that treatment with KAND567 produces the desired effect against autoimmune disease.3 This research indicates that desired treatment effects could be achieved without significant side effects on the specific immune system.
Further studies by Kancera, have shown that KAND567 can reduce nerve damage associated with chemotherapy, allowing for a more effective treatment for cancer by counteracting dose-limiting side effects.
An additional investigative route is to look at whether Fractalkine-blocking drugs can directly attack cancer cells. Overall, studies demonstrate that blocking the Fractalkine system can represent the basis for a new class of drugs against diseases that are caused or exacerbated by the immune system, including autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Kancera develops the basis for new therapeutics and is currently developing drugs for the treatment of leukaemia and solid tumours. Its operations are based in the Karolinska Institutet Science Park in Stockholm.
References
- Press release June 2016: http://www.eisai.com/news/news201640.html
- Eisai Scientific day, June 2016, pages 32–36: http://www.eisai.com/pdf/eir/emat/e4523_160629.pdf
- PNAS, 2014, vol. 111, sid. 5409–5414.